Description

The Oasis of Marr is a large desert area that lies in the middle of the
Desert of Ro. The oasis itself is inhabited by crocodiles of all types,
and the island in the middle has a temple that is surrounded by spectres.
The zone is one of the most dangerous in this part of the world.

Dangers

This is a very dangerous zone, mostly because almost every creature in
the zone is both powerful and aggressive. The pumas are the least of your
concerns, the wandering madmen, mummies, and sand giants are much more
dangerous. Add to that the fact that many lower level characters travel
through here en route from Freeport or Neriak to the swamps to the south.
Two noteworthy creatures are Cazel, who is a very high level sand giant
that appears now and then, and is generally unkillable even by the groups
hunting sand giants here. He can leave reams of bodies stacked on the
shore. The other is the dry bone skeleton, or "DBS," who wanders
over the entire zone. These creatures are also in the high teens and are
aggressive and tough to take down. They are also not too easily seen against
the sand of the area, and sometimes can be confused for some necromancer's
pet.

There are some special notes to hunting orcs here that you should be
aware of. Anyone hunting the "Orc Highway" should be hunting
in a group. The reason is that there is always a large number of orcs
slowly wandering around the area. Even the best and most awake puller
is going to, at some point, pull more than intended and you're going to
wind up fighting a swarm of them. The orc priests are truly evil, and
should be taken out first as they will heal themselves and others during
battle. Also be aware that there is a slight naming difference between
"an orc warrior" and "a orc warrior." The "an"
orcs are in their mid-teens in level, while the "a" orc is more
like 20th. This means that, especially for lower level groups, you must
/con as you go to make sure you're not pulling a big baddie.

To travel through this zone, the safest route (from north to south) is
to travel along the eastern edge of the zone, along the water. The crocodiles
along here are not aggressive, and you can travel most of the edge without
being attacked. The only concern in this area is that, quite often, players
from the lake tower will pull spectres to the zone and the ghastly creature
will wind up slowly floating down the shore, destroying those they meet.
Keep your shout channel open to hear the warnings. The southern edge is
by far the most dangerous, as there is a slightly higher concentration
of powerful creatures and the dunes make it hard to see them as you make
your way to zone. Desert madmen roam this area and are far more powerful
than you can tell by /con'ing them. Use the tops of the sand dunes to
watch the surrounding creatures and their movements, and move quickly
to the zone edge. Don't fight anything in the middle of the desert, because
you'll get swarmed.

Benefits

This area is good hunting for people who are looking to fight creatures
of the levels described above. The crocodiles and caimans along the eastern
edge provide good hunting for characters in their low teens for level and
their older cousins the deepwaters can carry you all the way up to around
20th. If you're savvy, you can also get a regular supply of them from the
water, although your swimming skill must be pretty good to actually make
it back to shore. There is also the "Orc Highway" that provides
some good training for grouping, as well as good loot and experience, and
actually extends along the entire western edge of the zone and not just
at the most packed area on the NW corner of the lake.. Higher levels can
pull the spectres from the main island as well as hunt sand giants here.

There is also something of an economy here. There is a gypsy camp near
the lake that sells combine weapons as well as other more average equipment.
The Inn at the southern edge of the lake, although in a very dangerous
spot, also sells items (although at a very inflated price).

Travelling To and From
Oasis of Marr

The Oasis of Marr can be reached from the north along a large border
it shares with the Northern Desert of Ro. Along the southern edge there
is a small range of mountains, but there is a narrow pass in the middle
of the southern edge of the oasis through which travelers can pass into
the Southern Desert of Ro.